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The teacher, who works at Stoneham Central Middle School, was placed on paid administrative leave after the District learned about the allegations this weekend, Superintendent David Ljungberg said on Monday, Oct. 24.
The allegations stem from an incident that happened in Florida in 1992, Ljungberg said. While the District did conduct an internal investigation of the teacher back in 2017, they were unable to confirm these prior allegations.
"It is important to know that upon joining the Stoneham School District, this individual did undergo the District’s customary screening procedures, including fingerprint-based national criminal background checks," Ljungberg explained. "These checks did not indicate a cause for concern."
Therefore, the investigation was reopened after the District recently obtained new information. The teacher does hold a current teaching license with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), Ljungberg added. That organization has also been notified about the allegations and the teacher will stay on leave pending the results of the investigation.
"We understand that this information is concerning," Ljungberg continued. "We will keep our community informed as we complete a full and thorough investigation to better understand the circumstances surrounding this situation, determine if any misconduct occurred in our schools, and take action in accordance with our policies and procedures."
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